Iowa State Coasts Past Texas Tech 76-52

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP)  Iowa State tried to keep Texas Tech out of its comfort zone, and it paid off as the Cyclones overwhelmed the Red Raiders 76-52 on Saturday.

"They really work for position down there and battle, so we wanted to force them off the sweet spot, make them take tough shots and collapse in there when they threw it in," Cyclones coach Fred Hoiberg said. "And I thought we really executed our game plan well."

"(McGee) hit shots in the first half when not many other guys were and helped us get out to that lead  even though we didn't shoot the ball great in that first half, especially from the 3-point line," Hoiberg said. "Tyrus was a lift coming off the bench for us."

The Cyclones led most of the way and put the game out of reach at the end of a 10-2 run midway through the second half, capped by Royce White's dunk, to lead 49-31.

Iowa State (14-5, 4-2) took advantage of Texas Tech turnovers, converting the Red Raiders' 15 errors into 21 points. The Cyclones got another 34 inside, as White dished the ball to teammates when the defense collapsed around him.

"I'm not dealing with a lot of ball pressure out there, and it's not like I have a ton of hands in my face, so I get to kind of see everything that I need to see," White said. "I just try to look for the open play, and if it's there, then I make it."

Iowa State, third in the Big 12 in 3-point percentage, hit 8 of 25 from beyond the arc. McGee finished 6 of 11 from 3-point range and 7 of 12 overall.

Robert Lewandowski tied his career high with 20 points to lead Texas Tech (7-11, 0-6).

The Red Raiders last lost their first six conference games in 2000.

"That was a very experienced team, a very confident team against a very mentally fragile team that's very inexperienced," Texas Tech coach Billy Gillispie said. "And they showed us a great way to go about winning a game because they executed on every single offensive possession."

Texas Tech's shooting didn't improve in the second half, and the Red Raiders committed three turnovers in their first three possessions. They shot 37 percent in the first half but dropped to 33 percent after the break.

Meanwhile, the Cyclones started taking the ball inside often and with effectiveness, as 22 of their 34 inside points came after halftime.

Tech was overmatched and struggled throughout to find its rhythm offensively. Gillispie gave his younger players time on the court. At one point, he had three freshmen on the floor.

Iowa State got hotter as the game progressed. The Cyclones hit 16 of 28 in the second half (57 percent) after making only 41 percent in the opening half.